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Wednesday, 22 February 2017

Dark Minds climbs the charts for charity

I am delighted to share that this week, Dark Minds: a charity collection of short stories from some of your favourite authors, entered Amazon's Top 100 chart in four countries.

The book, which is available in eBook, paperback and audiobook formats, was published by Bloodhound Books in December 2016. All the profits from the sale of this book is donated to Hospice UK and Sophie's Appeal.

Dark Minds is a collection of 40 crime and thriller short stories by authors including Steven Dunne, L.J Ross, Lisa Hall, Betsy Reavley, M.A Comley and myself. We came together to produce an anthology that will lure, tantalise and shock its readers.

My short story, Never Tell A Lie, was a great way to try something new. I stepped away from Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton and entered the mind of villain. Below is the first 500 words of the story to whet your appetite. At the time of posting this blog, Dark Minds kindle edition is on special offer for just 99p/99c - yes, that's right, less than £1 for 40 short stories. If you'd like to find out more, click here to visit Amazon.

Never Tell a Lie by Tara Lyons

It was during the winter of 2015 I became a real man.

The frost welcomed me every morning and I hid behind a large
oak tree in Roundwood Park. The grass crunched under my feet as I hopped from
side to side, waiting from 5am.
Fiona wouldn’t jog by for another hour, but I never wanted to miss her. The
black, tight leggings showcased her beautifully long legs and toned arse. I
wanted to rip the jumper from her chest, fully expose the bouncing cleavage it
masked. I’d waited so long. My tense body was like a mountain of frustration until
she ran by. I’d grow hard as I yearned to touch her. She was my release and I
needed to see her every day. Except on a Sunday; Fiona didn’t run on Sundays
and I went to church.

I had met Fiona a month earlier at the coffee shop, and
instantly wanted her. Her hair shone like the sun and her blue eyes enticed me,
pulling me in like the waves of the ocean. I served her a large latte to-go
every day for a week before I summoned the courage to ask her out. She swiftly
held up her hand and pointed to the gleaming diamond.

‘I’m married, sweetie. Thanks for the compliment.’ She
laughed and left the café.

I’d never been turned down before. My teeth clenched
together in anger. I was used to getting what I wanted – as a handsome man with
a great sense of humour, it was what I expected. Her rejection was like a punch
to the gut. But, the more I thought about her, the more I wanted her. She was
playing hard to get and that was new. That was exciting.

For another week I watched Fiona’s every move. I followed
her on Monday morning, after she’d collected her usual beverage; disappointment
hit me when she didn’t notice I wasn’t serving. She seemed to breeze through
life with such dignity. My respect for her grew; Fiona was the type of woman I
could see myself starting a family with. I had waited so long to find the right
woman – the kind of woman my father had spoken about when I was a boy.

The week turned into a month and soon I knew everything
there was to know about Fiona. Her daily exercise routine, where she lived and
worked, which shops she frequented and the journey she took home. She was so busy
with her daily tasks, or always with her nose stuck in a book while travelling,
she barely took notice of anyone around her. Never once did she notice me
watching her.

Her home was nestled in a quiet cul-de-sac. A semi-detached
cottage with a quaint thatched roof that had become so difficult to find in
London. It was another way she was showing me her uniqueness and style. Its
location was an ideal spot – far enough away from the noise and city yobs that
you weren’t involved in its tourism and fast-living, but still close enough to
actually work there if you so desired. It was important to earn a good wage, and
I knew Fiona did. It was also perfect for my evening viewing. I was protected
by the foliage; trees everywhere hid me from sight. Sadly, for Fiona, this was
her undoing...